Are you enrolled in Medicare or have patients who are?

We reviewed Medicare coverage for sleep studies here.

In this post, learn about Medicare Part B coverage for CPAP and other PAP therapy (Part B covers certain doctor's services, out patient care, medical supplies and preventative services).

Are you enrolled in Medicare or have patients who are?

Learn about Medicare Part B coverage for sleep studies (Part B covers certain doctor's services, out patient care, medical supplies and preventative services).

Does Medicare cover in-home sleep apnea testing?

Yes.

In 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the National Coverage Determination for CPAP to include home sleep apnea testing (HST) as a means to qualify patients with obstructive sleep apnea (learn more about OSA here) for CPAP therapy (learn more about CPAP here).

CPAP is hard. Proper education during the set-up and beyond is critical. Another key factor for success is support from your healthcare provider, family and friends, or other CPAP users (here's our post about a study that shows patients with family support have better CPAP compliance).

In this blog post we provide info about five of the best online support groups and educational resources for PAP users.

Sleep apnea is most often identified not by the person suffering with the disease or even their doctor. It's usually a family member who realized there is a problem. The person sleeping does not hear his own snores, but his bed partner or family member in the next room does. 

Does your dad snore loudly or always fall asleep in inappropriate places?

Alyssa, our Internal Operations Manager, knew for years that her father had a serious sleep disorder. As a child, Alyssa could hear her father snoring from across the house. Finally, after falling asleep at work during a phone call, her father was tested and diagnosed with severe sleep apnea (actually, his co-workers caught him asleep at his desk while on the phone, photographed him and posted the picture as his employee of the month photo).

For the past 10 years he has used a bi-level PAP every night, has lost over 100 pounds and his life has changed for the better (see this great picture of Alyssa and her dad at her wedding in August of last year?).

Men are more likely than women to have sleep apnea. In this post we'll cover the top risk factors for sleep apnea in men and how to recognize so that you can convince your dad (bed partner, uncle, brother, grandfather) to talk to his doctor and find out about having a sleep study.

For me, camping is all about sleeping outside- both the challenges and the rewards.

It has taken our family years of trial and error to find exactly the right sleeping arrangements (10 person tent for the 5 of us, queen-sized self-inflating air mattress, flannel sheets, heavy down comforter and kids on their own cots).

Camping is almost always a social activity with one or more other families. Our kids run around all day, getting filthy and engaging in screen-free activities like catching lizards and throwing rocks. As the sun sets and we clean up sticky fingers from our nightly s'mores, I'm ready for bed. I love the creeping sleepiness that approaches with the sunset after spending an entire day outdoors. It's also the one time my kids don't argue about going to bed. They're ready. We fall asleep just after the sun sets and wake up just after it rises.

It's no surprise that studies have shown sleeping outside is great for re-calibrating your sleep cycle. Camping [usually] means that you're not using your iPhone or watching TV before bed. Electronic devices are not only stimulants- as all parents know- but also emit blue light which can effect melatonin levels and make it hard to fall asleep (learn more about that here). 

Sleeping outside typically means that you're following the sun's schedule. So even if you're not getting more sleep when you're camping (which I always do), the timing of your sleep gets in sync with natural melatonin levels so it's easier to fall asleep and wake up feeling more rested.

I could reminisce about my recent camping trip (see that beautiful sunset? That was our first night camping in Big Sur this past weekend) for this entire post; however, I'll tie this back to our main topic, sleeping outside. No matter where or who we go camping with, there are two questions that often come up while camping related to sleep apnea. 

What do these terms mean in a sleep study report?

Which one is used by insurances to determine approval for CPAP therapy?

Learn about the different type of respiratory events, how they are scored and what they mean for treatment options and insurance coverage of CPAP therapy.

Don't have health insurance?

Did you just find out that CPAP isn't covered by your insurance?

Are you experiencing financial hardship and need a CPAP machine or supplies?

Need a backup device or a second device for traveling?

Here's a list of organizations that provide low-cost or free CPAP, APAP and bi-level machines and supplies so you can get the sleep you need.

As with any purchase of CPAP equipment, a prescription is required, even if the there is no charge.

It's important to know the basic about the different types of PAP (positive airway pressure) devices that are used to treat sleep apnea. Whether you're newly diagnosed with sleep apnea or a more seasoned user or healthcare provider, this post outlines the basics of each of the devices.

Our goal is to help you understand the differences in the devices or better understand the device you're currently using. Ultimately, we want to help those who suffer from sleep apnea be successful with PAP therapy. Read on!

One of the most obvious and important parts of the entire CPAP rigmarole is finding the right mask. In fact, finding a mask that is comfortable and has a good seal may make a huge difference in how likely you are to succeed with CPAP therapy. Here’s a short and sweet explanation of the different types of CPAP masks.

All PAP machines (CPAPS, bi-level or BiPAP, auto-sets, etc.) use a filter to clean the ambient air (fancy way of saying regular room air) before it is blown through the tubing and into your airway. Replacing the filter is the only type of maintenance that needs to be performed on your CPAP machine (not including the humidifier) .

Filters, like mask cushions and tubing, should be replaced regularly to ensure optimal usage and comfort. Just like the filter for your home air-conditioning or your vacuum cleaner, the filter will get dirty with use. Environmental factors can affect how regularly you need to change your filter. If you smoke or have pets that shed a lot, your filter may get dirtier faster.

Each machine may require a different size of filter. On the newest ResMed AirSense 10 CPAP unit, the filter is located at the left side under a plastic flap that looks like a grate (see picture).

Learn more about the different types of filters and which one is best for you.